


Flowering Fearlessly

by Allekha



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Extra Treat, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon, Winter Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:15:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27311047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allekha/pseuds/Allekha
Summary: At their first Olympics in 2014, Phichit tries to help Yuuri with his nerves and plans to make his mark on the world of skating.
Relationships: Phichit Chulanont & Katsuki Yuuri
Comments: 12
Kudos: 26
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	Flowering Fearlessly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady_Ganesh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Ganesh/gifts).



> Happy Halloween :)

It was supposed to be the most exciting event of their lives, and Phichit, for one, was ecstatic. Yet nobody would have known it from the expression on Yuuri's face; he looked like he was about to be condemned for something, not about to skate on Olympic ice for the first time. Phichit had known he got nerves, but they didn't usually interact much backstage when they were at the same competition, and he'd never seen him look this bad before.

"Yuuri, why don't we try some deep breaths?" Celestino suggested, but Yuuri just stared forward as he slowly jogged in place, existential dread written in every nervous line of his face. Celestino scratched his head, sighing.

Phichit was supposed to be warming up in earnest – his turn was way ahead of Yuuri's – but there was still a while to go before he needed to get his skates on. So he sidled up to Celestino and whispered, "Let me try." To Yuuri, he went: "Yuuri! Let's take a picture together to mark the occasion!"

"Okay," Yuuri said, his voice weak. Wow, Phichit really hoped he cheered up once he got on the ice. He couldn't imagine how terrible it felt to be Yuuri right now, instead of vibrating with joy and excitement like he was.

When they had first started training together a year and a half ago, Yuuri might have said no to the suggestion of a photo together. Phichit probably wouldn't have asked. Celestino had told him before he moved that he had another new skater, studying abroad from Japan, who he might like to be roommates with; he'd asked, "Do you know Yuuri Katsuki?"

Phichit had known Yuuri already, and he'd nearly turned the offer down right there. Because the Yuuri he knew had walked down the hallway at Four Continents with his eyes boring holes through anyone dumb enough to stand in his way, and then been so standoffish at the banquet that even Phichit hadn't tried to talk with him.

But his parents hadn't wanted him to live alone, and then it turned out that Yuuri wasn't actually mean. He didn't talk much at practice because he was focusing hard, and he didn't talk much at home because he was shy, but after a couple of months of awkward conversations and a _The King and the Skater_ marathon, things had improved.

Phichit had found out a lot of fun things once Yuuri's real personality had started to peek out. Yuuri liked doing little dance videos – did them better than Phichit when they recorded one together – and he liked Thai food even though Phichit's attempts to make it were sometimes disastrous because he didn't know how to cook, and he liked complaining about the chill of Detroit as much as Phichit did. He had a cute dog and made weird faces when he played video games and helped Phichit make new toys for his hamsters. He was a great roommate.

And he was _good_ at skating. Phichit hadn't realized how different it would be to skate at a rink where he wasn't the biggest fish, like it had been in Thailand or with his previous American coach. Sometimes there was jealously, dark and burning in his chest, when Yuuri did a perfect quad right in front of him, but Phichit didn't like feeling that way and tried to turn it into motivation to improve instead.

For example: right now, it didn't _matter_ that Yuuri had made it to the Olympics through Worlds and Japanese Nationals, and that Phichit had just scraped in through Nebelhorn. Or that Phichit was still struggling on the junior GP and that Yuuri had guaranteed spots on the senior one. The important part was that they were _at the Olympics_! That was every skater's dream, and they were some of the few who had made it.

Yuuri squeezed in to his side and waited patiently while Phichit tilted his phone and adjusted the angle until it was perfect. "Smile!" Phichit chirped, making a peace sign with his spare hand. Yuuri dug out a smile, too, and copied the gesture.

Phichit didn't post it right away – later, when his connection wasn't so slow and when Celestino wasn't giving them that _get ready please_ look. He hadn't posted much lately, too busy. Not the best for engagement, but his real fans would understand, and he could focus more on social media after the Olympics were done.

(His brand had to be a business sometimes – he had a ton of plans for improving Thai skating, and the federation wasn't about to give him enough baht to run skating clinics and his dream ice show. But he did appreciate all of the messages, and tried to respond to comments when he could. His fans were always so nice!)

Yuuri looked only marginally less unhappy. Celestino was just frowning and not saying anything. Phichit scraped his brain for a potential warm-up distraction and blurted, "Can you watch me do one last ground run-through before I go out?"

As he'd hoped, Yuuri's gloomy expression faltered. "It's a bit late to try and make improvements."

"I know, but... look, it's my first really big senior competition! Remember, I had to withdraw from Worlds last year when I got the flu, and they sent the other guy the year before...." He put his hands together in a pleading gesture. "You always have something helpful to say, and it would help me feel better."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Yuuri did have helpful suggestions a lot of the time. Phichit wasn't nervous at all, though, only excited.

He didn't get anxious at competitions like Yuuri did, and it kind of helped that, bitter as the knowledge was, he wasn't a real contender here, not yet. Maybe next time, when he was sure he would have a quad and a lot more of a reputation. The only expectations for him here were from Celestino and himself, and he wanted to have a good couple of programs and make the audience cheer for him. At least, unlike Yuuri, he didn't have the specter of a bunch of people to disappoint hanging over him.

"Okay," Yuuri said.

Phichit handed him his phone so he could play the music, then went through his short program's choreography as well as he could in the limited space and off the ice. Since it was the Olympics, he'd chosen Thai music for his short. It wasn't _The King and The Skater_ – he wasn't ready for that music yet, and he wasn't going to perform to it until he was able to pull it off the way it should be – but something upbeat and catchy, modern and unquestionably a tiny piece of home.

Yuuri went through one of the important movements with him a couple of times to smooth it out into what it was supposed to be. Phichit tried to copy Yuuri's ease – he'd started tagging along to some of Yuuri's extra dance lessons when he signed up for something new, but hadn't caught up to him in ability just yet. It did make him feel that much more settled and prepared, and then Celestino told him it was time to get his skates on.

"Good luck," Yuuri told him as he finished tying the laces, the words said in shy Thai with a cute accent.

Phichit beamed at him as he bounced onto his feet, ready to go make his mark on the ice. "Good luck," he said, using the Japanese phrase Yuuri had taught him. It got him a very tiny smile. Phichit was happy that he didn't look like he was about to keel over anymore, even if the tension was still there. But that was for Yuuri and Celestino to deal with. It was Phichit's time to shine for the moment.

Celestino went with him, giving a last few encouraging words and, finally, taking his Team Thailand jacket for him when it was his turn to skate. Phichit looked up at the huge crowd – the ice felt the same under his blades as any good ice did, but the audience was really something else – and grinned. There were only a couple of Thai flags at the ready.

Probably a lot of people up there didn't know him. But he was going to change that, and by the time he made it to the next Olympics, he wasn't going to be some kid from a country that never produced skaters, someone just happy to be there. He was going to be Phichit, star of the burgeoning Thai skating program, known for his unique style and expressive performances!

The route to that hadn't started today, and it wasn't going to end today, either, but this was a big step. The announcer called his name, and Phichit glided forth, ready to put a smile on every face in this arena.


End file.
